Maker of the Month – September 2017
Congratulations to our first “Maker of the Month”, Terry Bledsoe!
“My submission for the Maker of the Month Contest is a barn wood coffee table. This is a square table that I was asked to build for a friend’s living room. It is made completely of reclaimed barn wood and scrap construction plywood. The inspiration for the top came from looking for a use for the smaller scrap pieces left after building several dining tables.
As you can see from the photos, I began by laying out the wood I had to see if and how the pieces would fit together. Since barn wood is rough and of different dimensions, a layout like this is important. Once that was determined, the top was glued together and pieces were assembled on the top. Note that some pieces were painted to add interest to the top. The sides were assembled using mortise and tendons, probably overbuild but I know it will last forever.
Once assembled, the top was cut into two pieces and connected to the top with salvaged barn hinges. This allows the table to be opened from both sides for storage (approximately 9 cubic feet) After final assembly, the piece was finished with several coats of poly and then waxed. To keep the top from slamming down on little fingers, soft close hinges where installed on both lid pieces.
This turned out to be a really fun project and a very useful piece of furniture. I’m sure that it could be easily duplicated in a similar format by the customers of Black Dog Salvage using the many products that you have.”
About Terry
My name is Terry Bledsoe. I am a woodworker dedicated to preserving memories from the past using reclaimed wood. I have taken down two log barns, a huge wooden barn in disrepair and am currently disassembling a pre-1900 house that has a timber frame section that is pre Civil War. I use all type of reclaimed wood from discarded building scraps to fallen trees to the salvage from buildings. All the scraps of wood from various projects get turned into something useful and memorable. Wood is reused instead of going to the land field.
Growing up on a farm there was always something to build or repair so working with wood came easy. Serious woodworking came when my daughter and son-in-law decided to open a restaurant in Lincolnton, North Carolina. Money was extremely tight so we built the bar, tables, booths and other furnishings. We basically used anything that we could find laying around to make the furnishings. That was 14 years ago.
Today I make whimsical birdhouses, rustic tables, furniture, wooden tote boxes, garden obelisks and other wood items. I recently had the opportunity to build a communion table and some side tables for a church sanctuary.
My wife and I have visited Black Dog Salvage several times and it is always a stop when we are in your area. We walk by planters every day that came from you and I’ve completed a number of projects with Annie Sloan paint and recently your new Black Dog paint.
Thank you for sharing your craftsmanship with us and the rest of the world, Terry. Enjoy your new KEEN Utility boots!